St Joe's
by The ORIGINAL Corky
Summary: Modern Day AU. The Newsies are in college! Follow the tales of intrigue, love, friendship, Frat life, dorm woes and teachers from Hell. ::No slash pairings, I promise. Rated T just for good measure::
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Same old story, don't own, wish I did. I do however own Corky, Petrie, and Quincey...and don't even THINK about stealing my Quince, I WILL know! He's my homeboy, I've got one of those character Lo-Jack things on him...so I'll know if you steal him. All the other girls in this story (Hair, Illy, Adren, Peg, Acorn, Stress and Polaroid) belong to their own rightful owners...so I take no claim for them either.**

**Author's Note: Let's see how this story goes...I got this idea the other night when I was working on my English homework. The textbook was so boring that I just dropped the book down onto my face and suddenly heard, "What do you think you're doing? You're not going to learn anything from doing that." "Heh, that's what you think. Osmosis my friend, osmosis." and could see two college Newsies in my head. Thus, this story was born. Dunno how well it's gonna go though since I don't have much of a plot at the moment, just sort of playin' it by ear and doing my old way of writing--no plotting, just writing. Please don't forget to review, let me know how I'm doing...if it sucks, if I suck, if the characters aren't believable college kids...etc. Thankies!  
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Prologue

Indian summer had yet to begin. The trees were still lush and full, their green leaves swaying in the warm, gentle breeze. Why people always said school started in the fall, when really it stole the last few precious weeks of summer the students had left, was still anyone's guess. Still, the quad was bustling with excitement as the residents of Saint Joseph's University struggled to move into their dorms. Freshmen and transfer students, loaded with bedding and duffle bags, stumbled and bumped into people while on their quest to find the right room while those familiar with the campus opted to laugh, talk, or throw the football around with each other on the grass.

In the dorms, music and laughter could be heard over the stomping of feet up the stairs and down the halls. Mothers cried as they clung to their "little baby"—"little baby" obviously embarrassed by their mother's actions—and fathers made empty threats about coming back to kick their butts should they do anything stupid—failing, getting pregnant/getting someone pregnant being the main ones it seemed. Boxes and bodies littered the walkways, making it nearly impossible to navigate.

"This has _got_ to be a violation of at least one fire-code," Corky muttered to herself as she hoisted her backpack back up her shoulder and looked back down at the paper in her hand. Sighing and dodging a UFT (or Unidentified Flying Textbook), the girl sidestepped into a room and frowned. Books, clothes, magazines and other various objects littered the floor, making it difficult to determine where one side of the room ended and the other started. Posters of city skylines, a tropical beach, and what she assumed to be the latest Playboy Centerfold covered the walls.

Taking another step into the room, Corky quirked an eyebrow and looked around. Nothing seemed to indicate that another girl was staying in that room. She had no problems sharing the room with another tomboy, but the half-naked women hanging from the wall, sort of unnerved her.

"Uhm, excuse me but…this _is _room 204, right?"

"Every year, all year," A male voice answered from behind a bookshelf.

"Then, I think you're in the wrong room." Corky said, looking down at her paper again.

"Not a chance. Tower Hall room 204 has been my room for the past two years—today marking the start of the third."

Corky sighed and rolled her eyes as she moved further into the room, hoping to find the source to the voice.

"Well, apparently not because…this is Tower Hall room 204 and I'm assigned to it," pausing to step over a stack of Sport Illustrated, she frowned a bit, "So unless you're a lesbian named Lyla, you're in the wrong room."

A crash sounded between the bookshelf and the loft bed, a string of curses that would make even a veteran sailor blush following close behind. Corky did her best to hold back a snicker as she dropped her black bag to the floor. There was enough junk there already, no one would notice one more bag. From behind the furniture, a blond head appeared, his blue eyes hidden behind wire-framed glasses.

"Lyla?" He questioned in confusion.

"Mmhmm…Lyla Williams? Supposed to be my roommate?"

"G'dangit! Stupid mother…no. I'm _Lyle_ Williams…and you are clearly in the wrong room. Check your sheet; you're probably in _304_." Lyle sighed heavily, shaking his head as he continued a string of choice words regarding the Admissions office and their lack of attention.

Shaking her head, Corky held her sheet out to him. "I'm not, trust me."

Ignoring the paper, the boy stepped out into full view. Moving to what was supposed to be his desk, Lyle dug around through some papers before holding up his own room assignment. Looking it over, he quirked an eyebrow as he glanced at her over the top of it.

"Well, unless you're a cross dresser, you're in the wrong room. My roommate is a transfer student name Corky MacGreggor."

"And Corky can't be a girl's name?" She questioned, an amused smile playing on her lips as her right hand reached into her back pocket for her wallet.

"Is it? Doesn't sound like one to me."

Smirking and tossing the black leather wallet to him, Corky crossed her arms over her black T-shirt and waited. Lyle caught the wallet and stared at it for a minute before opening it to look at her brand new school ID.

"You and the housing people must think the same way then. Hi, I'm Corky MacGreggor."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Ok, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted...it actually was supposed to be longer than this but, I figured I'd cut it in half to make two different chapters instead. This one...pretty much blows, I'm not gonna lie to you...*blushblush* but it introduces a few other Newsies and has some humor, so I hope you enjoy it just the same. Next chapter is more introductions, more humor, more goodness =)**

**Please don't forget to review!  
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Chapter One

"Of all the stupid, harebrained, idiotic screw ups…" Lyle Williams muttered to himself as he marched across the grassy quad heading for the admissions building. It wasn't so much that a girl had been mistakenly assigned as his roommate—albeit a slightly strange girl who apparently knew no other color than black and hot pink—it was the fact that after two years of enrollment they _still_ had not fixed their typo. How they ever got "Lyla" out of "Lyle" in the first place, he didn't know. It wasn't like the letters were right next to each other on the keyboard or anything!

"Dutchy! Hold up!"

Pausing to glance over his shoulder, Lyle raised his hand in greeting before turning to continue down the walk. He really didn't have time to stop and talk to anyone; he was on a mission. Something needed to be done—mostly about that blasted typo that had been haunting him but also about Lil Miss Skills who was currently making herself comfortable in _his_ room!

"Dude, what part of hold up didn't that blond head of yours comprehend?"

"Sorry Skitts, can't talk." Dutchy shook his head as he clenched his fist tighter around his room assignment.

Mikhail "Skittery" McKenzie broke his stride for a just a moment, blinking his chocolate brown eyes in confusion before jogging to catch back up with his friend. "Why not? Why such the hurry? Get another psycho roommate?"

Dutchy shook his head, his slightly shaggy blond hair rustling from side to side as he did. "They screwed my name up again."

Skittery gave a small snot like laugh—which he quickly covered by pretending to clear his throat—before rubbing the back of his neck and quirking his eyebrows a little. Keeping in stride with his friend's pace, he shrugged as he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Well, ya know, do you have pretty girly handwriting, Dutch. Sometimes your E's wind up looking like A's and your O's look like E's…maybe if you'd learn to stop putting loops and curls where they didn't belong, they wouldn't have this problem." The taller brunette jabbed playfully as he followed his aggravated pal into the admissions office.

Ignoring his friend –and the two people who had been in line in front of him—Dutchy moved to the desk, slapping his hand down hard on the smooth surface and startling the woman behind it. The office full of people froze when they heard his hand hit the desk and all turned to stare. Taking a step back, Skittery's eyes widened slightly as he gave a subtle nod to the two boys in front of him. A senior and junior respectfully, David Jacobs and Jake Robertson took a few steps back; wanting to stand near their friend should the blond finally flip his lid.

"What's with Blondie? His roommate try to kill him already?" Jake asked playfully, a goofy smile on his lips.

Skittery snicker but shook his head, his arms crossing over his vintage "Pink Floyd" concert shirt. "Wouldn't surprise me, but no…not yet anyways. Seems they—"

"_LYLA?!_ Lyla Williams? Seriously? I've been here three years now and your record _still_ says my name is _**LYLA**_?"

Trying to hold back their laughter—and failing horribly—the three boys broke into a chorus of cough-covered-laughs, gaining the attention of the admissions councilors. Quickly finding out what they boys needed and ushering the group away from the desk, the office women did their best to keep from over hearing Dutchy's complaint. Jake and Dave forced themselves to stop laughing and put on innocent looks as they explained how they still hadn't heard who they were to be showing around the first few days and were both curious as to how to find their charges.

Corky smiled to herself as she strolled into the admissions office, the metal hooks and loops of her hot pink suspender straps dangling from her black pants clanked and jangled as she walked. Giving a polite nod to the group of boys standing just inside the door, she moved to stand directly behind her would-be roommate just as he started in on his next tangent. Looking to each other before back at the very Gothic appearing girl, the boys all quietly wondered to themselves who she was, where she'd come from, how out of place she seemed among the rest of them and if she was all doom-n-gloom like the rest of the Goths out there seemed to be. From her black pig-tails tied up with hot pink rubber bands, to her plain black T-shirt, the black with red stitching lace up arm warmers, down to her black with red and orange flamed Converse sneakers, it all seemed to scream outsider.

"I'm telling you, my roommate is a girl! Female! Gender opposite of me! Whatever you wanna call it!" Dutchy exclaimed. _For a place of higher education, _he thought to himself, _these people are seriously stupid!_

"Dutch got a girl roommate?" Dave questioned in mild confusion.

"Wonder what her name is. Bet she's hot!" Jake smiled at the thought as his two companions chuckled and nodded. Glancing back at the desk where Goth-Girl stood statue still behind their friend, they all asked themselves the same thing, how'd _he_ get so lucky?

Growling and rolling his eyes, Dutchy shook his head as he tried to explain the situation to the woman behind the desk. How could she not understand the words coming out of his mouth?! Was it really that hard to get? At least they _finally_ understood they spelled his name wrong…

"Now Lyle, I'm sure there's some kind of misunderstanding. We wouldn't pair you up with a female roommate," the middle aged woman behind the desk said patiently.

Smirking to herself, Corky stepped out from behind Dutchy and gave a small wave. "Eh, I'm afraid the blond one is right. Hi, I'm his roommate, Corky MacGreggor."

Eyes going wide, Dutchy spun around to look at the girl behind him. When the hell did she get there? Blinking at her for a few minutes, he looked back at the office worker and nodded.

"See? I told you!"

Pausing as the three boys had started out of the office, Jake, Dave and Skittery all turned back to look at the girl. They found it very hard to believe that she was assigned as Dutchy's roommate. Looking between each other, they slowly moved back into the room to stand off to the side to listen. Not like they had anywhere better to be. Jake and Dave's mini-tour groups hadn't even gotten there yet and Skittery wasn't due to meet up with his girlfriend for lunch until closer to one o'clock, plenty of time for them to see the fit hit the shan.

"Excuse me?" The woman asked, looking between Dutchy and Corky in confusion. When neither of them offered to argue or explain, she knitted her eyebrows together before turning to her computer and quickly began hitting the keys.

Hands in her pockets, Corky rocked back and forth on her toes, humming a bit to herself as she waited. For some reason, this was a lot more fun than she had originally thought it was going to be. Who knew changing her entire appearance before leaving for school was going to be so liberating? Had this of happened to her the year before, she would have timidly walked into the admissions office and begged and pleaded for something to be done. Now though, she was having way too much fun watching her aggravated roommate become even more bothered.

"Oh dear…ohhh dear. This is not good. It seems all the rooms on the girls' floors are taken." Looking up from the screen, the woman stared at the pair in mild horror. The thought of a co-ed room was just not going to fly with the board.

"Taken? What do you mean taken? You mean…I'm stuck with her? I'm stuck with a girl roommate?"

"Oh c'mon now, Blondie…it's not that bad. Hey, don't worry about it ma'am, honest. We're both adults, we can handle ourselves." Smiling to the woman who Corky still didn't know a name for, she gave a small nod and shrug. "We'll hang a curtain up in the room or something. Then, once a room opens up, I'll switch. It's not a problem."

Dutchy's jaw dropped slightly open when he heard Corky suggest that she just stay where she was. This was not how his junior year was supposed to start out. He'd finally made it to upperclassman, he was supposed to share his room with a fellow upperclassman, one which would go to parties with him and help him snag a girlfriend. Not some freaky Goth girl who probably sacrificed cats and built weird alters to a God of Death or something! This girl was probably going to try to drain him of his blood in his sleep for some creepy Voo Doo ritual or conjure up a ghost or something!

Looking between Dutchy and Corky, the admissions councilor looked back at her computer once more before frowning. "I'm sorry Lyle, but there's nothing we can do. We don't have any available rooms right now. As soon as one becomes available, we will move, uhm, Corky into her own room. In the mean time though…"

Corky smirked proudly as she dropped her arm around Dutchy's shoulders and pulled him in for a shoulder-to-shoulder "hug". She could feel his heavy sigh as his shoulders dropped and he cast a look of 'I am not amused'. He'd warm up to her, eventually, and if he didn't, well then that was his loss.

"C'mon Blondie, you and your pals can show me around."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Again...sorry for the short, rather suckieness of this chapter. We do meet four new characters though! Next chapter I promise will be longer and more exciting with more Newsies present! Enjoy just the same though.**

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Chapter Two

"Do…do you think they forgot they were supposed to show us around?"

"Hmmm, no, I don't think they forgot. Maybe they're just running late."

Two freshmen girls stood in the middle of the quad, total opposites of each other: one about five-foot-one with shoulder length auburn hair and green eyes, nonchalantly slurping down a very berry fruit smoothie; the other standing at five-foot-seven inches, her dark brown hair just brushing her shoulders and framing a pair of large brown eyes that seemed to anxiously search the quad. The pair had been standing there for the past five minutes waiting for others to join them or for their upperclassman-guides to show up.

"I'm Addie, by the way, but everyone calls me Adren," the girl with the smoothie said between slurps as she glanced up at the girl next to her.

"Melissa, uhm…I usually go by Polaroid though."

"Cool! How come? Cuz you like taking pictures or something? Oh hey! Think that's them?"

Polaroid blinked at the rapid fire questions being fired at her before Adren's sudden change in subject. The pair glanced to their right as a group of students came strolling towards them, a semi-frightening looking girl in the middle. Polaroid gave a small gulp as she looked around; silently praying they weren't the welcoming committee. Next to her, Adren smiled and bounced from foot to foot, still sucking down that seemingly bottomless smoothie.

The group moved down the brick walk way towards the two girls, Dutchy leading the way, shaking his head in frustration as Jake and David hung back with Corky between them, each questioning the girl in rapid succession. Both Adren and Polaroid had been assigned to one of the boys to shadow a bit the first few days in order to familiar themselves with the campus, and it was David and Jake's jobs to make sure the new students didn't get lost—too badly anyways. As they got closer, both upperclassmen guides paused their questioning to look at the two freshmen in front of them.

"Hi, are you our new students?"

"That's a dumb question to ask Dave! Of course they are! Look how terrified they both look! Aside from possibly Skitts have you ever seen a return student ever look so terrified on the first day?" Jake laughed as he nudged Dave's shoulder before looking back to the girls. "Hi girls! I'm Jake, this is Dave, and we're your guides for the next few days!"

Dave glanced down to his paper and looked back at the girls in mild confusion. According to his paper he was supposed to show two people around, that meant…

"Did the other two get lost already?"

Polaroid and Adren looked at each other for a moment before looking back at the group in front of them. Both shrugging their shoulders, they awkwardly rocked back and forth on their feet. How would they know if two other people got lost? As far as they were concerned, _everyone_ was lost but _them_! They knew exactly where they were. They were standing in a quad by a nice fountain and statue of St. Joseph in the middle of campus. So there.

Dutchy sighed as he glanced down at his watch. Ten a.m., maybe if he could sneak away he could go back to his room, put up something to separate the two sides and try to get some more sleep. It'd been a long drive after all and maybe if he got some sleep, he'd wake up to find it had all been a horrible nightmare and his _real_ roommate would be there.

"Stick with them…they'll show you around. I'm outta here." He muttered to Corky, still not happy he got the Daughter of Death for a roommate. Nodding to both boys, Dutchy turned and started back off towards the dorms.

Shrugging, Corky moved to stand by the two lowerclassmen. Smiling brightly at them both, despite her dark red lipstick, she stuck her hands out to them both at the same time.

"Hi, I'm Corky. Nice to meet ya's. Don't worry! I'm not as think as you scary I am." She said, smiling brightly at the light joke she'd made in hopes of breaking the tension between them all. Adren smiled back just as bright as she switched hands to hold her smoothie before reaching out to shake one of Corky's while Polaroid rather hesitantly extended her own.

"Hi Corky! I'm Adren and this is Polaroid. You new here too? We're freshmen. I like your hair, it's really cute like that!"

Grinning, Corky nodded. "Thanks! I like yours too."

Jake and David both looked at each other and shrugged before looking back to their sheets. They silently wondered where the two missing students could have gotten lost at. Their freshmen and transfer junior charges were the only two still MIA.

"Alright, well…we'll wait for a few more minutes before we get started. Just waiting on a junior transfer-in and a freshman, as soon as they show up, we'll go. So…" David shrugged a bit as he looked around, hoping for any sign of their missing members.

The group stood there on the green for a few more long awkward moments. No one spoke, though Adren continued to slurp the last of her smoothie down loudly while Corky entertained herself with a little hum and Polaroid continued to scan the quad nervously. David and Jake rocked on their feet, hands in pockets as they lazily looked around, waving to a few friends who happened to pass by.

To their right, a young man dressed much like Keanu Reeves in 'Constantine' with a black suit with tie and shinny dress shoes came rushing towards them. His wavy black hair was combed back nicely and his brown eyes flashed with excitement. A woman in her mid fifties cried on the street, yelling to him in Italian.

"I'm here! I'm here! Please wait for me! I'm sorry I'm late; my mom has yet to cut the cord on me. I'm here though, now, so…"

Jake and David turned at once to look over their shoulders at the young man. Glancing over his to see the woman still sobbing, they looked at each other with raised eyebrows before looking back to the boy.

"Uhm…Nick Adelfino?" David asked, looking down at his sheet of paper before glancing back up at the boy.

"That's me…everyone calls me Itey though."

After a short round of introductions, Jake looked back to his paper and shrugged. He was still missing the last person on his list but it was starting to get late in the morning and they really should be starting their tour. Had a lot of ground to cover and only a few hours that day to do it. Shrugging, he looked back to David and the others.

"Well I guess this one isn't gonna…"

"Hi, uhm…is this the group for the new students?" A voice asked from behind him. Turning, Jake's jaw slacked slightly before gulping a bit. Behind him stood a girl dressed in a pair of fashionable blue jeans with a nice fitting T-shirt and jacket. Her long brown hair hung down around her shoulders and framed a face with big brown eyes and lashes that seemed to go on forever.

Finally containing himself, Jake nodded quickly and grinned widely. "Yeah…yeah that's us. You must be—"

"Hair…you can just call me Hair."

"Yeeeah…" Jake nodded dumbly as David rolled his eyes and giving a wave to the new arrival.

"Alright well, Addie…uh…Adren I mean and Itey are with me. Polaroid and Hair are with Jake and…" David trailed off as he looked to Corky in confusion. She hadn't been on either his nor Jake's list.

Corky smiled as she quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. She'd actually already gotten the grand tour the week before when she arrived in town and had nothing better to do but wander the grounds.

"Aw, don't worry 'bout me. I'll find my way around. Actually, I still have to lug my stuff up to my room and get unpacked. I'll find you guys later though!" Waving to the group, she turned and sauntered back off towards the parking lot where her truck sat, still loaded up with all her things.

Jake nodded slightly before looking back to Hair and Polaroid, both who were standing next to him waiting. "Alright then…well, let's go."


End file.
